The summer blockbuster season is just about over so it's time to look forward to Fall movies. The following are movies based on novels premiering this September/October. Why not read the book (click title to reserve) and make a decision which was better, book or movie. I've rarely seen a movie that was better than, or as good as, the book -- The Cider House Rules the only exception in my humble opinion.

September 26 - Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
Starring: Sam Rockwell & Angelica Huston

September 26 - Miracle at St. Anna by James McBride
Directed by Spike Lee
Starring: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, John Leguizamo, Joseph Gordon Levitt and James Gandolfini
view trailer

October 3 - Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Starring: Michael Cera & Kat Dennings
view trailer

October 3 - What Just Happened by Art Linson
Starting: Robert DeNiro, Sean Penn, Bruce Willis, Catherine Keener, Stanley Tucci, Robin Wright Penn, John Turturro, etc. What a cast!!
view trailer

October 17 - The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson
view trailer

Take Alexandre Dumas to Paris with you, read Elizabeth Bishop while in the Hamptons, pack Michael Dibdin for your trip to Ireland - wherever you are going on vacation this year, writers (Julian Barnes, Dave Eggers, Colm Toibin, etc. ) recommend these perfect literary travelling companions.

I just read an interesting article in the New York Times regarding the new generation of chick-lit and the huge role brand name fashion now plays in these novels. Check it out, Truman Capote would be totally amazed at what his novella, Breakfast at Tiffany's, has wrought.

If you are always on the look-out for new, interesting and/or quirky pool or beach reads, then check out these suggestions from New York Magazine. There should be something for everyone's taste on this varied list of new titles for Summer '08.

You don't have to buy the July issue of Oprah Winfrey's O Magazine to get some great suggestions for books to read this summer. Here is the link for books just made for a summer afternoon. They promise to be some of the juiciest, most riveting, provocative, lyrical and eye-widening books of the season.

Ever wonder what people surrounded by books all day long chose to read in their free time? The following is a list of what your friendly library staff is reading this summer:

~Merrill~
Outtakes from a Marriage by Ann Leary (wife of actor Denis Leary)
A witty take on marital survival in Manhattan.

~Alene~
Buckingham Palace Gardens by Ann Perry
Thomas Pitt must be discreet as he investigates murder at an out-of-control party; the host was the Prince of Wales.

~Amy~
Copernicus' Secret by Jack Repcheck
Traces the story of the enigmatic scientist while revealing how he was able to make his pivotal discovery about how the earth revolves around the sun in spite of limited technology.

~Mike~
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
In a 25th century world in which death is nearly obsolete, former UN envoy Takeshi Kovacs, re-sleeved into a new body after a brutal death, finds himself caught in the middle of a deadly far-reaching conspiracy.

~Maureen~
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
An account of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 relates the stories of two men who shaped the history of the event--architect Daniel H. Burnham, who coordinated its construction, and serial killer Herman Mudgett.

~Eileen~
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
The true account of how the author Mortenson, having been rescued by Himalayan villagers after a failed attempt to climb K2, worked to build schools that would benefit the young girls who were forbidden an education by Taliban restrictions.

~Connie~
Gaspipe by Philip Carlo
Having profiled a serial killer (The Night Stalker) and a Mafia contract killer (The Ice Man), author Philip Carlo turns to Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, once head of the Lucchese crime family.

~Pat~
The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther
When her troubled past resurfaces with tragic consequences, Maryam departs for the remote Iranian village of her youth, followed by her daughter Sara, who finally learns the price her mother paid to secure her own freedom.

~Ellen L.~
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
In 19th century England, all is going well for rich, reclusive Mr Norell, who has regained some of the power of England's magicians from the past, until a rival magician, Jonathan Strange, appears and becomes Mr Norrell's pupil.

Now that we are officially into the hazy, lazy days of summer why not check out these cookbooks for some refreshing summer cooking ideas:

We've also included a link from NPR (of course) for the 10 Best Cookbooks for Summer. Mangia!!

If you are an avid NPR listener like many of us here at the library (Leonard Lopate has wonderful author interviews), we think you will enjoy Summer Books '08. This website offers book recommendations for every type of reader from the literary fiction lover to the reluctant teen reader. So take a look to see what you'd like to read this summer and head to the library to pick up your copy before hitting the beach.

Does your attention span wane during the sultry summer months? If you can't wrap your head around a novel when it's just too darned hot, why not try reading short stories? We have a book display of short story collections located in the front of the library titled "Summer Shorts". Last time I checked, we had a great selection from which to choose including Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (Pulitizer Prize winner), The Book of Other People edited by Zadie Smith (includes stories by Edwidge Danticat, Jonathan Safran Foer, Colm Toibin and Jonathan Lethem and many more) and My Sherlock Holmes - untold stories of the great detective edited by Michael Kurland. If you don't find something on display that piques your interest, we have a whole aisle of short stories from which to chose.

Check out this addictive website from USA Today featuring annotations of over 100 upcoming summer '08 books. I love the feature allowing you to read a pretty lengthy excerpt to get a flavor of the book. Don't forget to look at the comments section at the bottom of the the page for reader reviews and recommendations. I'm looking forward to Outtakes from a Marriage by Ann Leary (real-life wife of Denis Leary) for my beach reading this summer -- sounds good and trashy.

Did you miss the article in the New York Times last Friday titled, Volumes to Go Before You Die ? To cut to the chase, here is the list of the 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die according to 105 English critics, editors and academics. Why not see how many you have read and get some ideas for your next read.

Here's hoping you have a nice long life with time to read every book on the list.

I have to tell you that I find out the most interesting information while talking with our patrons at the reference desk. Today, a woman came in to reserve The Lottery by Patricia Wood. When I asked her how she found out about that particular book she told me about this great article in the June issue of Real Simple magazine. Ten top-selling authors share their favorite lazy-summer-day reads. Check out what Augusten Burroughs, Jackie Collins, Nelson DeMille, Janet Evanovich, Elizabeth Gilbert, Philippa Gregory, Sophie Kinsella, James Patterson, Jodi Picoult and Danielle Steel recommend for 1-day reads, books for a long-weekend (this one!), books to savor all summer and books to dip into and out of.

Thanks Real Simple, you just made reading a bit easier for us this holiday weekend.

A colleague (thank you Amy) recently shared a website for anyone interested in Reader's Advisory. BookBrowse recommends the best recently published books and provides you with everything you need to decide which reads are right for you - so you can browse the best and ignore the rest!

FYI - You don't have to become a member to use a majority of this site.

Happy Reading!

The Mystery Writers of America announced the winners of the 2008 Edgar Awards last week. The winner for Best Novel was Down River by John Hart -- A black sheep's homecoming triggers violence, murder and much sensual heat.

To see a complete listing of all the winners, check out the MWA website.

Did you know that there is a Long Island Library Conference held every year? It's an educational forum for all those who work in and for libraries. Our keynote speaker for this year's May 8th conference is Ellen Meister, an author from Jericho, who has written a very funny book called Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA . An avid reader herself, Ms. Meister has a blog you should check out for some great book recommendations.

There are still tickets available to see Carol Higgins Clark speak about her new book, Zapped, at Southside High School Auditorium next week. Stop by the Adult Reference Desk at the library to pick up your free tickets for our 2008 Endowment Fund Lecture on Wednesday, April 30th @ 7:30 p.m. This event will also feature a question and answer session and book sale/signing. Don't miss this opportunity to meet a famous mystery writer 'up close and personal'!

The good news is that it's the day after the dreaded April 15 tax deadline. For all of us who filed (and qualifed ) this year, the government has promised a tax rebate stimulus check. Need some suggestions on what to do with your check? Why not stop by the library and check out our display (located at the front of the library) of personal finance books, everything from Suze Orman to Jim Cramer and a whole lot more. If you plan on using your money on something fun and adventurous, we have a large section of travel books for you to peruse. And, should you need an audio book to listen to on the plane or beach, try some of our new Playaways, self-playing audio books the size of a deck of cards.

During these trying economic times, there are not many things you can do, or get, for free so we invite everyone to come to the library to take advantage of all we have to offer.

We just found out about a new website Redroom that offers authors and readers a literary MySpace. Red Room aspires to be the online home of the world’s greatest writers. Through original, author-generated content, they offer a creative social network. Here, you can connect with your favorite authors, access current industry news and comment on engaging features. By fostering true community between authors and readers, Red Room showcases esteemed and up-and-coming writers and aims to inspire the next generation. Why not see if you'd like to register or just access the website for interesting new reads.

Poems are made by fools like me ...

Do you remember the rest of this famous poem? Poetry is a bigger part of our lives than we think. April is designated as National Poetry Month and we put together a book display of all types of poetry for you to check out. Naturally, we have books by former and current Poets Laureate but we also include child poet and Oprah fave -- Mattie Stepanek; Children's poet -- the late, great Shel Silverstein; Calvin Trillin for poems with a political bent and many, many more. Come into the library and see for yourself all the different types of books of poetry the library owns.

We also suggest you visit the Poets website if you'd like to get in touch with your 'inner poet' this month.

BTW, the rest of the poem is '... but only God can make a tree' from Trees by Joyce Kilmer.

If you are a book club member, did you know:

Many book clubs rely on recommendations from other book clubs for their book selections.

The book club population has increased 25% in the last 5 years, rising from 4.6 million to 5.2 million adults.

The average book club member reads 36 books per year. Only 12 of those are book club selections. (The average American reads 5 books per year.)

Check out Book Movement to see what other clubs are reading and what books they recommend.

If your choice of a great read is action/adventure, thriller or suspense novels, have we got a website for you! Check out the International Thriller Writers site for 'hot off the press' books, guaranteed page turners and much, much more.

No, it's not what you're thinking. March is 'for Dummies' month and we invite you to check out the varied collection of 'dummies' books here at the library. For Dummies books use a lighthearted, down-to-earth approach with cartoons and humorous icons to dispel fears and inspire confidence about any subject with which you are not familiar. These books are lighthearted but certainly not lightweight. Titles new to our collection include Job Interviews for Dummies, Solar Power Your Home for Dummies, Arthritis for Dummies (Large Type), Negotiating for Dummies and many, many more. Don't be a dummy and buy the book when you can borrow it for free.

Looking for the "best" book in the genre you love? The following is a list chosen by librarians (from a division of the American Library Association) who specialize in readers' advisory as the best of each of the eight genre categories. Read one and see if you agree.

Adrenaline (a.k.a. thrillers, suspense and action/adventure)
The Second Objective by Mark Frost
In an attempt to regain the upper hand for Germany in the fall of 1944, commando Otto Skorzeny plots to have 2,000 English-speaking soldiers infiltrate Allied lines, while a smaller band of commandos embark on a more sinister mission.

Fantasy
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
A hero named Kvothe, now living under an assumed name as the humble proprietor of an inn, recounts his transformation from a magically gifted young man into the most notorious wizard, musician, thief, and assassin in his world.

Historical Fiction
The Religion by Tim Willocks
A French countess enlists the aid of a German sword-for-hire when she travels from her home to Malta in search of the boy she gave up at birth twelve years ago, but they arrive just as the city is invaded by the Turks.

Horror
The Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (Stephen Kings' son)
Hnscrupulous metal band musician Judas Coyne is unable to resist purchasing a ghost over the Internet, which turns out to be the vengeful spirit of his late girlfriend's stepfather.

Mystery
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
Sent to medieval Cambridge in order to exonerate a group of Jewish prisoners with financial ties to King Henry I, University of Salerno medical examiner Adelia and a group of companions struggle to avoid being accused of witchcraft and discover that the killer may be a former crusader.

Romance
Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth
Taking to the road between seasons, attractive Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard meets the beautiful and infuriating Blue under unusual circumstances and draws on his competitive skills to overcome her wariness of relationships.

Science Fiction
In War Times by Kathleen Ann Goonan
In an alternate-universe depiction of World War II, a man enlists for the military after his brother is killed at Pearl Harbor and receives plans for a mysterious device from one of his instructors that he spends the war constructing, with unexpected and bizarre results.

Women's Fiction
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
A successful caterer, Claire has always remained tied to the legacy of the Waverly family, until her peaceful life is transformed by Tyler Hughes, an art teacher and new next-door neighbor, and by the return of her prodigal sister,

In these days of the 24/7 news channels, it's hard to believe that there might be some things that we don't know about the presidental candidates. Just in case Chris Matthews, Wolf Blitzer and the rest of the pundits may have missed something, the following are books either about or by one of the politicians in the 2008 presidential campaign -- Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Barack Obama. And, as of this past Sunday, add Ralph Nader to the list!

If you are a literary fiction fan and enjoyed Motherless Brooklyn and/or The Fortress of Solitude, you should head on over to Hofstra University on Wednesday, Februrary 25th @ 11:30 a.m. to hear author Jonathan Lethem speak as part of the Great Writers, Great Readings series. For more information on this interesting program, please call 516-463-5419.

We all know the Oscars, but have you heard about the EDGARS? The Edgar Allan Poe Awards (popularly called the Edgars) are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America. They honor the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television, film and theatre published or produced in the past year. Check out the nominated books on their website if you're a mystery lover. Who knows, you just may discover a new author or title to pique your interest.

Looking for a book written in a fresh, new voice? Every day books by first-time novelists arrive at the library and here are just a few that we recommend:

Beginner's Greek by James Collins - a romantic man's version of chick lit, in which love conquers all, everyone lives happily-ever-after and a guy and girl see fate triumph over circumstantial twists and bad luck.

Beautiful Children by Charles Bock - The disappearance of a 12-year-old boy brings together the lives of a group of seemingly unrelated strangers in Las Vegas--including his parents, an illustrator, a stripper, a teenage anarchist, and a group of street runaways.

Gardens of Water by Alan Drew - The lives of two families living in Istanbul are changed by an earthquake that brings them together and forbidden love blossoms between a Kurdish Muslim girl and an American.

The Heroines by Eileen Favorite - the story of 13-year-old Penny and her mother who run a bed-and-breakfast for literary heroines on vacation from their plots, among them Madame Bovary, Catherine Earnshaw, and Ophelia.

The 80th Annual Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2008. Last week, the Oscar nominees were announced and many of the nominated films for best picture are based on best selling novels. Among the titles we suggest you read before the winners are announced next month are:

Atonement by Ian McEwan - a profound and moving exploration of shame, forgiveness and the difficulty of absolution.

Oil by Upton Sinclair (There will be Blood) - follows the relationship of a man from a wealthy California family and his son as they pursue oil and deal with the manipulations of magnates and speculators, socialists, Hollywood tycoons, politicians, etc.

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy - a bleak chronicle of murder, revenge and implacable fate set in 1980 in southern Texas.

Keep your fingers crossed that the writer's strike is settled so we can watch the ceremonies on TV!!

While getting ready for work Tuesday morning, I had the radio on, as usual, and heard something that really piqued my interest. Nancy Pearl, a librarian from Seattle and a hero to librarians everywhere, was talking about her list of 'Under-the-Radar' books. Check out this site if you are looking for alternatives to the best sellers. Nancy always has interesting and off-beat suggestions.

Nancy Pearl, our hero ;-)

Long Island Reads is a program in which people in Nassau and Suffolk come together to read the same book, participate in discussions of the selection and enjoy related events in public libraries. The program takes place every year in April during National Library Week.

The 2008 LI Reads selection is Aloft, Chang-rae Lee's story of a retired Long Island widower/businessman reflecting on the time he has spent in his small plane to avoid engaging with those around him down here on earth. The author will talk about his book at the Farmingdale Library on April 12th. Free tickets will be available - please contact the RVC library in March for information on how to obtain tickets. Our discussion will be held on Monday, April 14th at 12:00 p.m. at the library. Please stop in to pick up your copy of the book and join our discussion during National Library Week. Hope to see you there.

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

Ever wonder where this line is from? Check out the 100 Best First Lines of Novels as chosen by the editors of American Book Review. You'll enjoy seeing if you can match the opening line with the novel. The first two are pretty easy but it gets tougher as you down the list.

BTW, the answer is Anna Karenina!

MASTERPIECE THEATRE has great news for Jane Austen fans: PBS’ British drama series will broadcast adaptations of all of Austen’s six novels, plus a new drama based on her life. It’s the first time in television history that her books have been broadcast as a complete collection. The broadcast schedule is:

January 13 - Persuasion

January 20 - Northanger Abbey

January 27 - Mansfield Park

February 3 - Miss Austen Regrets - a new drama based
on Austen's own bittersweet love life.

February 10, 17 & 24 - Pride and Prejudice

March 23 - Emma

March 30 & April 6 - Sense and Sensibility

Our Mother~Daughter Book Club (for girls in grade 7 and up and their Moms) is reading 'Pride and Prejudice' on January 14th at 7:30 p.m. here at the library. Join the book club and enjoy a lively discussion and light snacks.

We strongly encourage everyone to read Miss Austen's wonderful novels and watch the shows to see how they compare and contrast. Pick up a complimentary Masterpiece Theatre bookmark with the dates of the shows here at the library.

A few weeks back, I posted on this blog a link to the NYT's 100 Notable Books of 2007. For those of you with more quirky and/or off-beat taste, we thought you might like this article (The Ones That Got Away) about books that were overlooked by the more mainstream book review sections in '07.

This New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship but never in want. And, we hope you always have a good book to read in the other!

One of the challanges of being a voracious reader is trying to find your next read. If you've already read everything by your favorite author, one of our databases, Novelist, has some suggestions for you. The author read-alike lists include a brief discussion of why people enjoy an author and a listing of other authors who write in a similar fashion to the one you enjoy. We hope you discover some interesting new authors after checking out this site.

Don't let The Grinch steal your Christmas this year. If the stress of the season is getting you down, why not curl up on a comfortable sofa with one of these holiday novels. They're breezy, uplifting and sure to make your heart feel light. We recommend:

A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg
The Handmaid and the Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg
Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans
The Santa Cruise: a holiday mystery at sea by Mary Higgins Clark
Christmas Letters by Debbie Macomber

It's that time of the year again - the end of year 'BEST OF' lists. For all you bibliophiles out there, check out the NYT 100 Notable Books of 2007 list. Who knows, maybe you can pick up a gift idea or two along with an idea for your next read!

Congratulations to Denis Johnson (Fiction - Tree of Smoke), Tim Weiner (Non-Fiction - Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA), Robert Hass (Poetry - Time and Materials) & Sherman Alexie (Young People's Literature - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian ) - all 2007 National Book Award Winners. For a complete listing of all the finalists (and links to author interviews), check out National Book Awards

The holiday season starts this week along with all the stress and anxiety of getting the seemingly endless cooking, decorating and shopping done before Christmas and Hanukkah. Remember that you can't take care of everyone else if you don't take good care of yourself. Give yourself the gift of time this year to relax and rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit during this busy season. Some books and CDs that we recommend and hope you enjoy are:

CDs

*Comfort: classical masterpieces and originals soothe your soul and spirit
*Nights of quiet stars
*Mountain medow meditation
*A.M. & P.M. yoga meditations

BOOKS

*Leslie Sansone's Eat Smart, Walk Strong by Leslie Sansone
*Meditations in a New York Minute by Mark Thornton
*Yoga: awakening the inner body by Donald Moyer
*The eating well healthy in a hurry cookbook by Jim Romanoff
*The 5-minute face: the quick and easy makeup guide for every woman by Carmindy (of What Not to Wear fame)
*The grown-up girl's guide to style: the maintenance bible for fashion, beauty and more by Christine Schwab

NEW to our Audio book collection are Playaways. A playaway is a self-playing audio book that comes pre-loaded on a small (the size of a deck of playing cards) device. They were designed with a universal headphone jack to work with almost any type of headphone, speaker or car adapter. Playways are more convenient and easier to enjoy than juggling multiple CDs or cassettes. Perfect if you are a walker or for use on a treadmill. Just put it into your pocket and off you go. Some titles in our ever-expanding collection include:

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
The Curious Incident of the do in the night-time by Mark Haddon